A Mothers First Embrace
by The Frogness
Summary: A quick and soft drabble about Daine and the birth of her daughter. Romance for DaineNumair, this is pure sweet unadulterated happy family fluff. Enjoy.


Daine sighed. Nestled in her arms was a small bundle of blue blankets, and she couldn't help but smile widely as she watched a small pink mouth yawn widely. She felt heavy and tired, but for some unexplainable reason, the wild mage had not been able to shut her eyes. The sight was just too fascinating, too beautiful. She had been with, and indeed _been_ many exotic and different animals in her young life, but no amount of wings or scales could compare to the light feeling in her heart as she watched this newborn masterpiece sleep. She stroked the small cap of damp curls with an air of reverence, her heart clenching and throat clogging up with too much emotion as the child turned toward her touch.

Burying her head against the bundle she sighed again, breathing in deep the smell of newborn child and cleansing oils. She realised that this was the smell her mother had spoken of and fondly remembered Daine's entire life, the subject only brought up when girl and mother peered into the face of a neighbour's child. A smell that would never be forgotten, stored deep away in her memory to fondly be taken out and admired as time passed on. For a moment, Daine felt as if her mother was standing right beside her again, stroking away the small tears that gathered at her eyes and pushing the damp hair off her forehead, but when she looked up it was instead Numair.

Sweet, gentle Numair, she looked at him so happily with the tears running past his fingers, she wanted to wear them like a crown upon her head and present this, the most ultimate gift to him. But when she opened her mouth no more than a croak came out.

Tears in his own eyes, he smiled at her, crawling carefully onto the small bed next to her. Legs sticking off the end, he cradled wife and daughter in the long confines of his arms, and Daine laughed softly, burying her head in his chest as tears fell freely down her cheeks.

"I don't know why I'm crying," she whispered, voice raw. "But she's just so perfect."

The man made soothing noises, shifting his arm so that it wrapped more comfortably around her smaller frame. "She is perfect," he agreed. Then he chuckled slightly, reaching one long bony hand out to stroke his daughters cheeks. "Are we quite sure she's a she, now?"

Daine smiled despite the tears. "I think the passage out into the world has tired her out just a bit. For the moment, it seems that she's content to stay in this shape, but I doubt that she'll remain this way for much longer."

"So it seems." And then he spoke no more words and Daine was glad, because the tears that ran down his long nose to his chin were sign enough. Mustering her last dregs of energy she pressed a kiss to the side of his face and he turned his gaze from his first-born child, dark eyes serious. In them, Daine saw herself, and beneath that gaze she couldn't help but feel like the most beautiful thing in the world.

A precious booty of treasure in her arms, and a warming dark shadow pressed into her side and around her, two ghostly touches of admiration at her shoulder and a cold dream nose thrust against her cheek, the family sat silently and proud, an hour of silent thanks in prayer for a gift more wonderful than any magic.

A/N: aww. How very sappy of me. But for some reason, flipping through the recent uploads to the Tamora Pierce section, I just felt completely compelled to write a happy fluffy golden glow in the afternoon scene featuring Daine, Numair and their newborn child. The two ghostly touches are of course Daines parents, the booty the baby, the shadow the tall and dark Numair, and the wet nose the badger. This is the first TP fanfic I've ever presented, so I beg here for reviews! I also do romance and angst, and you should see some OC stories of mine up and about soon. Why? Because TP was my first fandom, and regardless of the fact that I'm now a great deal older than when I first started writing, I still love it! I write drabbles like this one here pretty much on the spot whenever inspiration strikes, but if you liked my writing style and wanted to see a spot on a particular character, like, say, Cloud the mare? Ozorne? Rikash, or perhaps Winnamine? Then I am the person to see, cos all it costs is some measly writing critiques and reviews! Cheap as chips!

Disclaimer: I should also mention here that all the characters presented in this story belong to Tamora Pierce.


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